Momboisse Family Adventures April 2025: Loyola, Spain

 Sunday April 6, 2025 

Sanctuary of St. Ignatius of Loyola  (Wikipedia General Public License)

After a hearty breakfast at our hotel Casona de los Caballeros dining room we leave at 8:30am for Loyola, Spain, the birthplace of Saint Ignatius, founder of the Jesuit Order. Another day of pleasant weather, around 57 degrees and partly cloudy.  Our two hour bus ride will take us along the northern edge of Spain, through Bilbao one of the commercial hubs of Spanish Basque Country. As we ride, Leo will enlighten us with the story of Ignatius. 

Born in 1491 in Spain, Ignatius was baptized with the name Iñigo.  He joined the army at the age of 14.  

 Birth of St Ignatius by Juan de Espinal
 (Museum Sanctuary of St. Ignatius in Loyola)

On May 20, 1521, he was gravely injured in the leg by a cannonball in the Battle of Pamplona and transported back to his family home in Loyola to recover.   

Bronze statue depicting the scene of Iñigo being carried to his home
(Museum Sanctuary St. Ignatius in Loyola) 

During his recovery he read the lives of the Saints and had a spiritual conversion and call to the religious life. After he recovered he set off on a pilgrimage arriving in March of 1522 at the Benedictine monastery at Montserrat.  In front of the Black Madonna's image in Montserrat, Iñigo hung up his sword and gave up his former life.

Copy of the Black Madonna of Montserrat and St. Ignatius' Sword
(Museum at the Sanctuary of St. Ignatius) 

From Montserrat he walked to the town of Manresa where he lived in a cave for several months.  This was where he wrote his Spiritual Exercises.  From 1526 to 1527 he studied theology in preparation for the priesthood, and was ordained in 1537 taking the name Ignatius.  

St. Francis Xavier, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Peter Faber

(Museum at the Sanctuary of St. Ignatius) 

Two years later Ignatius, along with his companions Francis Xavier and Peter Faber, formed the Society of Jesus also known as the Jesuits. Ignatius was chosen as the first Superior General of the Jesuits.  He and his companions opened schools, colleges, and seminaries across Europe and Asia. Ignatius died in 1556 and would be declared a Saint in 1622.

Sanctuary of St. Ignatius of Loyola 

We arrived at the Sanctuary around 11am. It is built over and around the tower house of the Loyola Family which dates to the 14th century. Our tour starts with the house, which is now a museum. The museum is divided into four floors and accessed by a series of stairs.  There is an elevator that accesses the fourth floor for the Chapel of the Conversion where we will attend Mass.  

Each floor of the house contains artifacts important to the life of St. Ignatius. Some of these items have been shown in pictures earlier in this post.  The ground floor and first floor were used for storage and a kitchen. 

           

The next floor was used as a dining area and master bedroom. It was in this room that Iñigo was born in 1491.  

On the fourth floor we enter the Chapel of the Conversion.  This is where St. Ignatius convalesced after his injury from the Battle of Pamplona and had his conversion.  In the Chapel of Conversion Fr. Thom celebrated a private Mass for our small group.  

Entering the Chapel of Conversion

                                                            Chapel of Conversion 

From here we head back to the entrance of the Basilica. The Holy Door for the Jubilee Year has been opened and our group of Pilgrim's proceed to enter. 

The Jubilee Year 2025 began on December 24, 2024 and will last until January 6, 2026.  Walking through a Holy Door confers upon the pilgrim the opportunity to receive a plenary or partial indulgence, meaning the forgiveness of their sins. The main Holy Doors are in Rome: St. Peter's, St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and St. Mary Major.  But Bishops around the world, including our own Bishop Soto in Sacramento, have designated specific Basilica's, churches, and Marian sites as Holy Doors.  

Made of large blocks of local limestone and designed by Italian architect Carlo Fontana, the first stone of the Basilica was laid in March of 1689 and was dedicated on the feast of St. Ignatius July 31 1738.   

The main altar was designed in the churrigueresque style by Ignacio de Ibero between 1750 and 1757.  Behind the altar, over the Tabernacle, is a statue of St. Ignatius of Loyola.  Side altars are dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and co-founders of the Jesuits St. Francis Xavier and St. Peter Claver.  

              

The following YouTube video showing the inside of the Basilica is presented by the Sanctuary of St. Ignatius. 

After our tour of the Sanctuary, we board our bus for a 3 hour drive to Lourdes, France.  As we drive we will have a view of the Pyrenees Mountains.  

Next Lourdes, France

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Interested in being your own tour guide? I have over 20 published GPS audio tours with VoiceMap (Carmel, Monterey, California Gold Country, Folsom, Tahoe, Sacramento) and over 40 tours published with GPSmyCity (Carmel, Monterey, Big Sur, Folsom, Sacramento, Boston, Cinque Terre, Kotor Montenegro, Copenhagen, St. Petersburg, Helsinki,  Stockholm, Estonia). Happy Adventures! 

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All photos and videos by L.A. Momboisse unless otherwise noted